Thermostatic valve mechanism



July 22,' 1952 T. F. VAN DENBERc--v THERMOSTATIC VALVE MEcHANIsM 2 SHEETS- SHEET 1 Filed Jan. 6, 1947 Illlfliil July 22, 1952 T. F. VAN DENBERG 2,604,152

THERMOSTATIC VALVE MECHANISM 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Jan. 6, 1947 ATTORNEYS Patented July 22, 1952 Thomas Fg Van Denberg, Chagrin Falls; Ohio, assignor to The Titan Valve and Manufacturing f Company, ICleveland, Ohio, a corporation of r n Ohio Application January 6, 1947; Serial No. 720,349

This invention vrelates to safe operating mechanism for a controlling device, by means of which the device may be reset or cocked to an active or operating position in which it isy releasably held ormaintained, subject' to variation in a variable condition, such as temperature.

:. One object of the invention isy to provide improved mechanism of the kind Areferred to, in which vthe controlling device is biased to' move toward active position, but ordinarily, when all parts are cold, is held in inactive position, against its bias, by control vmeans capable of actuation for control purposes and, more particularly,

andgpermits its biasY to become effective.

1 -Another object is toirnprove the operating and control mechanism for such acontrolling device,

vto simplifyl the same,` reduce vits cost and secure vmore certain and dependable-T operation.

Still 'another object is* to provide improved con- 'tu'di'nal sectional elevation, showing the controlling device'in inactive position; 1'

Fig. 2 is a similar view, omitting certain parts, showing the operating parts in cockedposition;

Fig. 3 is asimilar view, showing all parts in active or operating position.v f

The`inven`tion may -be applied for use in the loperation of any controlling device, such as an electric switch, a valve, a trigger or the like, em-

ployed in the control or operation of other devices'. -For convenienca'and in no sense of limitation beyond'fthe full scope of ythe claims appended `hereto, it jhas been illustrated for use in thecontrl of the flow of fludiuel, either gas or`liquid,'to a burner.

Thedraw'ings illustrate a main burner Il), to which fuel is supplied by a conduit II, and a pilot burner i2' adjacent the main burner and supplied""with fuel'by way ofccnduit I3. The valve mechanism for controlling supply of iuel to the 'twoconduits II, I3 usually vis organized 5 Claims. (Cl. 158-127) capable of actuation in such manner that it I becomes ineffective upon thecontrolling device as a Single unit, and is so shown, although this is not essentialk and separate control devices may be 'employed' I lAs illustrated, fthe kcontrolling mechanism lncludes a hollow casing-or body I4 provided with supply and 'discharge chambers I5, IS, either of which, such jas/chamber I5, communicates -with a fuelsupply pipe` I'I,"and the other, I6,)with conduit II, ilow from one chamber to the other being prevented or permitted by a mainpopp'et valve I8, normally biased V'away from its seat I8 around the valve opening by compression spring 20, backed bya spring Yperch andv'alve guide 2I press tted or otherwise secured? 'in the tubular'member- 22 which linesthesupply chamber; f -A union'nut 23comp'resses'fagainst a flange of tube-22 a'itting` Zqtolwhichsupply Valve I8V is attached to atubular `portion '2"5 oi" -a valvesupportfZ, the reduced end ef'vhic'h slides ini guide 2| 'and' provided wim'a'stp ring 21 limiting its motion.N Withi'ntheh'ol'low tubular portion 25' is mounted a suitable yielding thrust member, such ,asA a lig-htv 'metal -ball 28 backed vby 4`compression spring 29. "Ordinarily,

'when' all parts are cold, as shown'in Fig. 1,'ba11 28 rests upon thelarge 'end portion 30Qofatube or-rod 3|,I which thus :yieldingly maintainsffthe valve closed by compressionfspringf 29, and also as by engagement of its 'flared ilange` 32with the ball, limits motion Y'of'the tube tothe left k ,in Fig. l.

of the enlarged end portion 30 of tube al, while the inner end of tube 33 "is internally beveled or thinned, as atvSB, to correspond Withthe slope of the tapered portion 39 of tube 3I.

The maintaining devicesviriclude the two cooperating members of a permanent magnet couple',- either of which, suchaspermanent magfnet', may be housed within and firmly secured tothe enlarged end portion of vtube 31,"while `the other in this case armaturelll, is vrigidlyand .leaseeoffithe cockinggdevicee, Y 4 Dm'ingcocking; or resettingthee iirstzeiect is to.: advance tube, 33,: while tubezv 3 I-.isA held. sta.-

;thef two moving ;togetherfl A `travelingg,alongbeneath ballz, which rides onto opening in the body. Stem 42 is provided with an annular groove or channel 43 by means of which it functions as a pilot valve, preventing or permitting flow of fuel from supply pipe 44 through passage 45 tothe conduit I3 leading to the pilot burner I2.

outwardly.A beyeisicl.Y passage-rF 45;Al the end i ofv rod 42 lies opposite azndiimcoaxialrelation with.` but is not attached to, the rod 46 of a thermostatic couple, the other tubular member 41 of Whichiv is threaded into the casing or body at 48p. yThe members of this couple are of"any'conventimial form, including tWo materials ,Adifferingzrhtheiry reaching the active position shown in Fig. 3.

coefcients of expansion due-to-heat;arranged;.

tive orfnoi'malpositions.. With ..all.- partscold; ,y A

blank portion of rod 42 li'es opposite passage and prevents..- flow; Vizo-the pilot.. burner; Main valve. rI iisclosedein safe position and1 is., held iclosed-i-Lby' thee yielding` pressure. appliedl-to`v it throught spring 29. s Tubes- 3 I- vand .33,. both. .lie

retractedI position and thefmembers oil-the permanent-magnetcouple areremotely apart-.or

separated.4 Y

Tofcause. operationofftheburners, the cock,- ingeori' resetting cap-or` button 34- is pushed in, eitheny manually or2 by anyJ suitable automatic operating; device (notshoW-n); thus advancing 4thepnartsf.to*the positions shoivniinfEig; 2;- mogtiensloeingstopped-ony blocked. by engagement aofrthe endfof valve rod; 4Z Withtthezendfot, ther,h mostat rod 46. When this occurs-.atp ordinary rooms temperature: the members? oil- :the permanent: mag-pet couple are` ini'block-ing.; position. :L

They: have-'notyetf-.reached-v holding;relation or 'posi 'or-,nthoughitheyymay bevquite,L close toge-tl'i j In anni event.they. arenot .Within holding ormaintaininggrange and Willfseparate-vupon re;-

tionam1-byf springlaiv untill. the beveledI inner end foitube afabuts-tube V3 I- and carries. it along, Now-they act. aspne,

tube. S-Iaandis. thus f maintained; ini valve closing positionetofthefull end of the: advance cooking motion; beforeedescribed. Y

s Withltheparts-cocked; as in;lig.V 2,. the pilot valvie-l has been: opened. byl advance of.. valve Ychamiel.-43', and fuel flows.A to, the pilotn valve.

While:continuing; to, maintain fingen Vpressure upon thev cooking-: button., the pilot y valve isV iig-,- rrited and.V promptly .heats-the thermostatic -couple. Ars;theztemperaturev rises, tube 41- elongates and@ p ei'mitsfrod 46- to4 retire, thus. permitting further slight advancezmotionz of all. parts affectedfz by itheapplied.` finger pressure, including magnet 40;, which: reaches holding: relation or position`V Withfrespect-to itsmate.- In this po,- jsition; magnetI either contacts armature: 4I

or; 'separatedtherefrom by dirt particles or Here, the ball rests upon the small diameter portion of tube 3| and valve I8 has been advanced to open or active position by spring 20. Fuel flows to the main burner and is there ignited by the pilot burner.

Burner operation contnues;,po,ssibly-with some regulatingaction of the;main burnenfby conventional graduating or snap acting valve mechanism (not shown) until, for any reason both the pilot Aand main burner flames go out, permitting the parts to cool. This permits the thermostatic-tub,e..4I-, to contract and causes rod liito' advanceto-,the left in Fig. 3, communicatinggitsmotioneto: rod 42 and the magnet attached thereto.: and thus physically and bodily separating thetwdmembers of the magnet couple:V Assoorr as'they lose contact with each othemjjthe retracting spring 3io, becomes effective and retracts tubes 3|, its tapered Wall 39 serving, as. a 'carri andi restoring .ball 2,8Y td. its

,originalposition and thusiyieldinglyl closingmain valve I8.; n

All. partszare now in theinoriginal; positions ready. for another cycle of" operations.

The arrangement' described is simple, ,.is' satisfactory. and; reliable in service,V may be made andsoldat lowcost, andrequires,practically serviceor repair. A y

Other advantages ofthe invention willbe apr parent to those. skillediintlieart'.;

1...'Ihermostatic valve mechanism', comprising, a magnet couple including., cooperating Avmatedmagnet. and.. armature. members.Av one fixed landtheA secondvimovabletoward vandlirorn itsi mate, a,reoiprocablefvalve:biased toadvance iromclosed .t'o open position, thev movable/.couple member being biased,toward.= a retracted7^ position remoteA from... its-.matef Where. -it-.. o bstructs valve advance'A and thusmaintains.. thevalve c1osed,f ;m-anually, operated. reset4 means.r biased to.; a; retracted; p ositioniv and.- effective when ad.- vancedftof both eng-age ,the valve.-. and maintain it, closed andz/at.V thesametime, advancelthe, mov.- ablefcouple member, .to ianfintermediate position voutof obstructing reiatiorrto-the valveandmlose to butout of contact with its mate and,E thus shortv of holding; relation therewitm. as main burnerv, a-f pilotf burnerA adjacent; said main burner, and thermostatic means sensitive..` to heat. produced by;4 saidt pilot burnery and;y which when cooled prevents: andf when f heated. permits further advance ofi the movable coupleA member by the reset means:beyondin said4 intermediate position; into contacting,v relation: with itsA mate, the magnetic fluxbetween` the couple members being insufficient to overcome the bias upon the movable 'couple--member'when they. are closely spaced but being suiiicientvto dosowhenvthey reach contactinglrelation', wherebyreleaseofthe advanced resetmeansnwhen the thermostatic means' is heatedA4 permits.,l the valve:- to;y advance to, openfposition: 1

Thermostatic valve mechanism, comprising a magnet, couple including; cooperating mated magnet and armaturemembers, one xed aI-id'thy second movable` toward; and; from its-matea re;- ciprocable main valve biased to advancevfrom closedfto openposition; the-movable couple; member being biasedtoward afretracted positionnermote fromits Amate Where; it: obstructs`A main valve advance and. thus.l maintains the: main.v valve closed, manuallyoperated reset means, basedLto aretractedlposition and effectivefwheniadvanced to both engage the main valve and maintain it closed and at the same time advance the movable couple member to an intermediate position out of obstructing relation to the main valve and close to but out of contact with its mate and thus short of holding relation therewith, a main burner, a pilot burner adjacent said main burner, a pilot valve movable back and forth with the movable couple member from closed position when said member is retracted to open position when said member is in said intermediate position, and thermostatic means sensitive to heat produced by said pilot burner and which when cooled prevents and when heated permits further advance of the movable couple member by the reset means beyond said intermediate position into contacting relation with its mate, the magnetic flux between the couple members being insufficient to overcome the bias upon the movable couple member when they are closely spaced but being sufficient to do so when they reach contacting relation, whereby release of the advanced reset means when the thermostatic means is heated permits the main valve to advance to its open position.

3. Control mechanism of the character described, comprising a reciprocable valve biased to advance in one direction along a line from closed to open position, means for normally maintaining said valve closed, comprising a magnet couple including cooperating mated permanent magnet and armature members relatively movable along a second line intersecting said lirst line, one thereof being movable, spring means for biasing said movable member to retract to a position spaced from its mate by a force strong enough to retract the valve to closed position against its bias, the other member being stationary, the magnetic flux between the couple members being strong enough to overcome the bias upon the movable member when the couple members are in contacting relation but insufficient to that end when they are spaced apart, said movable member being provided with holding means constructed and 'arranged to normally maintain said valve closed when said movable member is in retracted position, a resetting member reciprocable along said second line and biased toward retracted position and arranged when advanced toward one position to obstruct advance motion of said valve, and when advanced to a second position to advance said one couple member into contacting relation with its mate, and when retracted to release said valve for advance to open position, means sensitive to temperature variable around a pre-established critical value, and having a part movable to hold the movable couple member short of contacting relation with its mate when the temperature is below the critical value, but withdrawable to permit the movable couple member to be advanced to contacting relation with its mate when the temperature is above the critical value, and cam means on said holding means and eiective, when said couple member is retracted, to contact and return said valve to its closed position.

4. Control mechanism of the character described in claim 3, including a pilot valve operatively connected to and movable with said movable member and arranged to open during the first advance motion thereof.

5. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a magnet couple including mated magnet and armature members, one xed and the other f movable towards and fromits mate, a control device movably carried adjacent the magnet couple and reciprocable between a first safe and a second operating position responsive to manipulation of said magnet couple, spring means for biasing said movable couple member towards a retracted position remote from its mate, and, while in such retracted position, having a part disposed to contact and obstruct advance of the control device toward operating position and thus normally to'maintain said device in its safe'position, manually operated reset means, other spring means for biasing said reset means toa retracted position, and eiective when advanced to both engage the control device and maintain the same in its rst safe position and at the saine time to advance the movable couple member to an intermediate position out of contacting and obstructing relationship to the control device and close to but out of contact with its mate, .and thus short of holding relation therewith, and means sensitive to a condition variable around a predetermined critical value including a movable part which under a iirst condition on one side of the critical value obstructs further advance of the movable couple member by the reset means into contact with its mate and under a second condition on the other side of the critical value is Withdrawn to permit further advance of the movable couple member by the reset means into contact with its mate, said condition responsive means being operative, upon return of said first condition to contact and return said movable couple member to retracted position, the magnetic flux between the couple members being insufficient to overcome the bias upon the movable couple member when they are closely spaced but out of contact but being sufficient to do so when they are in contact, whereby release of the advanced reset means, while the second condition exists, permits the biased control device to advance to its second operating position.

THOMAS F. VAN DENBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in theY le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,412,235 Van Denberg Dec. 10, 1946 2,412,725 Fitch Dec. 17, 1946 2,417,577 Van Denberg Mar. 18, 1947 

